Electric indicator for trains.



BATENTED JULY 3o, 1907. H. G. DYER. ELEG-T1110 .INDIGATGR FOR TRAINS.

APPLIOATION FILED PBB.11, 1907.

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No. 861,715.- 1511313111351) JULY so, 19.07.

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ELECTRIC INDICATOR FOR TRAINS.

APPLIoATIoN FILED P21111, 1907.

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nn'nnn/n'nnnn UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY G. DYER, OF GLOUCESTER, NEW JERSEY.

ELECTRIC INDICATOR FOR TRAINS.

To all whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY G. DYER, a citizen of the United States, residing inthe city of Gloucester, county ol' Camden, State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Electric Indicator for `rBrains, of which the following is a specification.

IFigure 1 represents a rear View of a locomotive Cab and section of rails' and contact strips embodying my invention.` Fig. 2 represents in top plan view, a signal track equipped with the side conducting signal rails in accordance with invention. Fig. 3 represents, on an enlarged scale, a portion of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 represents in diagrammatic form,'the connections in the locomotive. Fig. 5 represents in top plan view, a drawbridge connection embodying my invention. Fig. 6- represents the draw-bridge protective Contact in longitudinal section with diagrammatic view of the connections thereof. Fig. 7 represents asectional view of a whistle and i'ts connections. 'Y

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parte in the figures.

VReferring to the drawingsz-l designates a locomo- Ative shown in dotted lines herein, to clear from. the other parts of the invention, said locomotive being provided with an engine 2 and dynamo 3 for generating the signaling current independentltI ol' the movement of the locomotive. It will be evident that this need be of.but smallisizeand may be of any convenient or desired type.

At a suitable point as to be within the sight of the engineer, are the signalboir 4- and whistle 5, which will vbe more fully described hereinafter, i

Thesignaling is accomplished by means ofv side signal rail connections located in prdximity to the track and which-I have represented as three-in number, 6, 7 and 8, arranged in sections with a brake between the sections. The' section 7 at one point is connected to .the section 6 of the preceding set of sections and this cross connection .is continued from point to point with the effect that the shoe of one train or locomotive pressing upon the conductor 7 will be longitudinally connectcd with the shoe of the following locomotive `or train pressing upon conductor 6, at all times when these two trains are upon adjoining sections of signaling conductor. I l

The conductor rails 6, 7 and 8 are preferably supported b y means o a standard 9 'to which for convenience I connect an overhang 10, protecting the 'same from mechanical injury and electrical intcrlerence. I mount the fails within this connection by means of a bolt 11, having'a lateral turnedend 12 or other lateral connection by which tightening of the nut 13 upon the boltwill hold the\insulator 14 securely against the su pport 9. The insulator'li is preferably provided with .a substantially flat interior surface and with angular Specification of Lettersjatent. Application filed February 11. 1907. Serial No. Bill-6,799.

Patented July 3o, 1907.

edges 15 and 16 at thc two extremities thereof, .said angular edges conforming to the shape of the corrosponding face ol the conductor 6 or 8 which is intended plurality, in this case three, dove-tailed grooves are v provided which support and retain the rails 6, 7 and 8 respectively.

It will 'be eviderrt that with variant cross sections of rails different corresponding shapes or' insulator adjoinT ing the same may be necessary or desirable to properly support and insulate the rails. Contact with these downwardly directed rails is made by means of slices 21, 22 and 23 which are correspondingly upwardlyJ directed to make Contact with the rails. These shoes or collectors are insulated at 24 from a supporting arm 25, which I have illustrated as comprising direct support for the shoes and insulators thereof and an upwardly extending portion 26 supporting the same over the floor of the engine cab. It will be evident that the shape of this support is immaterial, its functionA being to properly hold the shoes in Contact with the conductor rails, supporting them upon any fixed part of the train. The arm 25 may be of spring material or springs of any suitable character may be made use of to support the shoes, which is well -known in the art.

" vI preferably provide a plurality of signaling devices which are illustrated diagrammatically along with tl^ connections thereof in Fig. 4 and I will now describe lthe normal connections for track signaling devices as shown in Fig. 4. A storage battery 27 is connected in such a way as to be thrown across the terminals of the dynamo 3 when desired for charging purposes or to be connected directly to the conductor 28, by which'connection is made from said dynamo 3 to the shoe 22 to bear against contact rail 7. The conductor 29 connects from the other dynamo terminal and one battery pole to the car truck, returning the current through the wheel 30 and track. The shoe 2l is connected to conductor 3l with an annunciator winding 3 4, the annunciator of which is arranged at one of the openings as 33 in the annunciator 4. At thenpening, as 32, in said annunciator frame, I provide a lamp 35 which is in parallel with the winding of the annunciator 34 and at any suitable pointl arrange my electrical whistle, whose windings 3G are also connected in parallel with the annunciator drop and lamp. The conductor is ultimately `connected also to the frame of the engine and I have shown it as connected to the .wheel 30. -I have shown these conductors 31 and 29 as connected toithe wheel storage battery, is connected at one terminal to the l Vtragk rail and at -the other terminal to the shoe 22 by which current is impressed upon the signaling rail 7 oi the section or track upon which this engine or -train is operating. 'The connection is thus formed with the 'conductor 6 of the preceding section and a `following 1 .5 train will form electrical contact therefor with this' side of the dynamo oi the other train through `the shoe 2l andthe contact will be completed through the signals 32,335 and 36 in parallel and the rail 37. Thus every train upon one section of track will be directly signal- 2t) ingany trainA upon the next section as soon as this following train enters the section. It will also be evident that the sections may bemade oi any necessary or-desired length and that Athe length may be varied from point to point throughout the system according Ato the 25 congestion of tralic or other conditions.v

In order that the engineer may check the transmission oi current to the contact rail 22 insuring contact of the shoe,and the maintenance of `the rail in place or warning of the contrary, I provide an additional contact 38 which may be supported upon-the arml 25just behind the shoe 22 but electrically insulated therefrom. This collector connected by means of conductor 39 with the cary wheel 30- through a lamp or other suitable signal 40 which' may be placed at any other suitable opening 4l in my annunciator frame. During the normal operation of my system the lamp should be continuously lighted and any failure to so light the lamp 40 would give immediate notice to the engineerioftrouble in the system.

y In order to protect against open switches and drawbridges and givel Warning thereof to the engineer of an approaching train, I provide a construction typified by Fig. Gand which I have illustrated as connected with the draw-bridge oi Fig. 5. In this construction I make use oi the outer collector shoe 23-and the condu'ctor 8 arranged to engage an abutment ,42 when in I closed position. Upon the abutment 42 I arrange a switch 43 having a projecting operating rod 44 to be moved by the edge 45 oi the draw in its final movement A"i0 into place.' lu the form which I have illustrated this switch is made up of a casing or frame 4G separable for convenienceI oi manufacture and provided with support as at 47 and 48 ior the movable rod 44, said rod.

being normally maintained in the positionshown in Fig. G by any suitable means, as by a spring. Upon the center. oi this rod and in electrical contact therewith, i iorin an enlargement preferably in the form oi "f I' .a disk 50 and in proximityto said enlargement, I place insulation 51, 52 even with the surface of said enlargeil() ment in order that ille coperating Contact 53 may ride freely and without appreciable vertical movement `upon-either ilu*y enlargement or the insulation according to the pri-ii ion oi the rod 44. The contact 53 is in WYthe form oi anY arm preferably pivoted at 54 and held at its duty by a spring 55. The arm-is insulated'fr'om the.

frame of my casing by insulation 56 and abinding post 57 is electrically connected' to said arm and is insulated from the frame as at 58. The binding post 59 is in electrical contact with the rod 44 and enlargement 50. The binding `post 59 is connected by mea-nr of conductor (i0 with the track rail 37, which ashas already been described, is connected by means oi conductor 29 in the train with one side oi the dynamo of each engine or train. The binding postf57 is connected by means of conductor 6I with the conductor 8 which is connected by means of shoe 23 and conductor 62 with the lamp 63, which may be arranged in any suitable opening 64 in the annunciator frame 4, the opposite side oi the lamp 63 being connected by means o conductor 64 with the brush oi the dynamo to which conductor 28 is connected, that is the brush opposite the one mentioned in Contact with the wheel 30. It will thus be seen that at all times when the draw is open contact will be made by means ofthe enlargement or disk 50 with the contact 53 and throughithe shoe 23 and signaling conduction 8, the lamp 63 will be maintained in lighted condition in each train. This condition is maintained not only when the draw is entirely open but until the draw is as nearly closed asthe required movement oi the switch 50 contemplates the final act oi closing, breaking this connection and cutting off the 4vcurrent from the light, but any form of switch which `will accomplish the result will be desirable.

For the purpose of protecting against Vopen rail switches the same general form of construction may be used', theswitch which I have illustrated being thrown directly by movement of the point of the rail switch itself o1' by the final movement ofthe lever which' accomplishes this rail movement. The connections by the open character' of the switch are communicated to the engineer' could be made the same as those which I have illustrated' and described fork the draw-bridge.

The electric whistle of which I' make use comprises a casing on top wrapped by a solenoid and inclosing a movable piston or magnetic material which will be operated by the solenoid. At tho top oi'. the chamber formed I provide a passage l(i9 communicating with any usual or ordinary form of whistle 70. In order to provent excessive movement ofthe piston in u downward direction I provide a stop 7l.. lt will be evident that passage of current through the solenoid 36 will cause movement of the piston Within said chamber und consequent rush of air `through the whistle operating the same. f

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isz

1. In a device of the character described, u 1l'uin.:|n cngine and dynamo thereon, n truck, n plui-uiiiyfoi signal rails in proximity io said track und nrrnmrod in sections, electrical connections between rails in dlli'croni relativo position in different sections, shoes niuklng" couinr't `wi1h 'said signal rails only. fi signal electric connection bulu'ocn one oi' said shoes und one sidix of the dynuuio, und connection from the other sido of said dinuuio to unolhcr ot said shoes.

2. In a device of the character described. u rniiwny truck, u plurality of signal ruiis'nrrunged vin sections n'djacent thereto, n plurality oi iruius olwrul'ivo upon said truck, rin/engine und d vuuiuo upon Unch ot" snid trains, shoes upon euch train 'bearing upon ouch ol sum .signal rails only. ciel-tric signalsuponwuch of said trains. connections from the dynamo to nach oi' suld shoes including" the electrical signal lnv one of said connections und inunns for connecting signal rails 'of one section with a differently placed signal rail in adjoining section.

El. Iii a device of the character described, a train, a source ot electric energy supported thereon, u plurality oi signal rails supported in proximity to said train, a collector, shoes supported on said train connected with said rails, connections from the source of energy to said shoes including an electric signal, a shoe in line with one of said shoes to hear upon the same, signal rail and connections embodyingan electric signal between said shoe and onel on one side to the track rail and upon the other side to the signaling rail and to the source 'of energy on the train and means whereby the movable rail throws sai switch only in its iinal moveuientinto placennmmma.

5. In a device of the character described, a solenoidal winding, a closed-core operating as a piston therein and a whistle communicating with the interior ofthe cylinder.

'6. In a device of the character described, a solenoid, means for substantially closing one end thereof, a solenoidal core normally lyingr at the opposite end of the solenoid and operating :1s a piston therein and a Whistle connected with the solenoid byl an aperture in the practicaily closed end.

7. In a deviceot` the character described, an electric switch, a xed casing, a plunger operatively supported in the opposite ends of said casing, insulating material on said plunger, a contact level with said insulating material, an electric connection with said casing, insulation supported upon the interior of said casing, a pvotally mountedcontact plunger' supported on said insulation, a spring exerting its inlinence at right angles to the movement of said first named plunger normally lholding said contact .40 plunger against the insulation and electric connections with said Contact plunger. v

8. In a device of the character described, an electric switch, a fixed casing, a plunger operatively supported in the Vopposite ends ot said casingior sliding movement 'there- 'ln, insulating material on said plunger, a contact level Witnesses:

Lnwis F. LADEMUs, KKINGSLEY MONTGOMERY. 

